Arabtec Construction is reportedly working to thrash out differences with Egypt’s housing ministry over plans to build 1 million low-cost homes in the North African country amid reports that the government is set to scrap the agreement.

It is understood that top Arabtec executives plan to fly to Egypt this week in an ...
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The owners of the JRD Group, the parent of the JustRentals.com and JustProperty.com portals in Dubai, have sold a “significant” minority stake in their business to the iMENA Group, which is headquartered in the UAE.

Alex Nicholas and Siddharth Singh, former Accenture executives from Britain who moved to Dubai in...
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While many villas on Palm Jumeirah have a similar look, the ‘signature’ villas that Nakheel cleverly spread across the 16 fronds of Palm Jumeirah claim an exclusivity and style sometimes missing elsewhere.

Each villa has a built-up area of 7,000 square feet on a 13,000 sq ft plot size. These villas come in sever...
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Faithful and Gould, a London construction and engineering consultancy, has been appointed as a cost consultant on the first phase of Gulf Related’s US$1.5 billion Al Maryah Central project in Abu Dhabi.

The announcement about Faithful and Gould follows the appointment of the Australian contractor Brookfield Multiplex ...
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I have a question regarding Airbnb which, like everywhere, seems to be becoming an increasingly popular platform in the UAE. Given that many rental agreements have clauses stating that subleasing a property is not permitted, do you think that there is going to be a clamp down on individuals wanting to rent out their flats? Is it advisable...
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Dubai’s tighter property rules aimed at preventing a housing bubble are the main cause of a slowdown in the emirate’s real estate sector rather than a sustained drop in oil prices, industry experts said.

Dubai has a low reliance on oil despite hydrocarbons providing three-quarters of the UAE’s consolidated...
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We have a tenant in our property in Ras Al Khaimah while we live in Dubai. She has been there for two years paying monthly rent as she could not afford the full 12 months. Some of her rent cheques have bounced and we have been very flexible with her. The rent is Dh70,000 per year. We have now told her that most rents are at about Dh90,000...
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The total floor area of projects approved by Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council (UPC) more than tripled in the second quarter of the year with the amount of land under development in the emirate on course to be significantly higher in 2015 compared to last year.

The Abu Dhabi Financial Group, an alternative investment company with US$3 billion in assets, plans to make more acquisitions in financial services and expand its debt portfolio by two-thirds, its chief executive said.

The group will make at least one acquisition this year, after concluding in March a 45 per cent stake in t...
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Abdulla bin Sulayem is chief executive of the hospitality development company Seven Tides and of property company Asteco. After completing his degree in business at Middlesex University, the Emirati joined Dubai-based property developer Nakheel in 2005 as director of operations. Mr bin Sulayem, 31, spent six years with the company before ...
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Prices in Dubai’s property market are falling at a much faster rate than rents, according to ReidIn data.

The latest UAE Residential Market Overview from ReidIn shows that sale prices have dropped 4 per cent during the last three months, while rents have fallen by just 2 per cent. Over a 12-month period, Dubai sale pr...
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My landlord gave me less that one year to vacate on the grounds that he wanted to use the apartment for “his own personal use”. The notice was stuck to my door one day. I assumed he meant to take back the property for his own use or that of his immediate next of kin. I moved out and moved into a more expensive apartment. I sub...
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Dubai Properties has signed a deal with Starwood Hotels & Resorts for four new mid-range hotels in Dubai.

The agreement means Starwood will open three of its Aloft-branded hotels and one Element hotel – both of which are new brands to the city. They will all be based in newer areas of the city along the Sheikh Moh...
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Al Noor Hospitals has agreed to long-term leases worth about Dh1 billion with its landlord, Al Saqr Property Management, that will allow it to expand its three main hospitals in Abu Dhabi as it taps into one of the fastest-growing healthcare markets in the region.

New blocks being built at Al Ain Hospital and its Airport Ro...
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Last year our landlord gave us a “one year non renewable” contract, mentioning verbally that she wants to sell. We vacated the villa at the end of the tenancy but landlord has not returned our Dh9,500 deposit. It has been two months since we vacated and she will not reply to our calls, text messages or emails. On top of that I...
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The developer Meydan has announced the launch of a new scheme known as Meydan One featuring a 711m-high tower, a huge new mall, the world’s largest indoor ski slope, a 25,000 sq metres indoor sports facility, the biggest dancing fountains in the world, a beach and a civic plaza capable of hosting up to 60,000 people. It is also to c...
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Gulf Holding Company (GHC), the developer of the long-delayed Villamar project close to the Bahrain Financial Harbour complex, has said that work is restarting after the restructuring of the project’s finances.

The US$650 million project comprises three twisting towers of 54, 52 and 43 storeys, which are to contain a ...
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